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Selection Guide:
Smart Home Lighting Systems

If you want to save money, conserve energy, make your home safer and still have the ultimate comfort and convenience – smart home lighting systems are the way forward.

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In recent times ...

smart household lighting options have muscled their way to the top. Gone are the days of energy-hogging incandescent bulbs as energy-efficient alternatives have exploded onto the scene instead. Smart home technology continues to discover innovative ways to assimilate with our home lighting systems. As a result, new opportunities for unique, tailored, practical and energy-efficient home lighting continue to improve our homes.

Before you dive in headfirst, think about what you want your smart lighting to accomplish in your home. What issues are you trying to resolve? Whether that’s stopping lights from being left on or fighting the winter blues by imitating outdoor light – there’s a perfect solution for you, and this guide can help you choose.

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What is Smart Lighting?

Smart home lighting gives you easier, simpler and more advanced control over the lighting in your home. It can be automated with personalised schedules, all whilst being able to manage your lighting system from your smartphone or another smart device. Some can even respond to your voice, whilst others can be synchronised to work with other smart home devices – the world is your oyster.

Smart lighting also comes in a range of unique configurations, from standard bulbs to outdoor floodlights, and several other types. The majority of smart lights also have the capability to shine in almost every colour. Plus, due to them being LED, they require far less electricity than conventional light bulbs. A worthwhile investment, right?

How Do Smart Lighting Systems Work?

All you need is an internet connection and you’re good to go! With smart lighting control systems, conventional light bulbs are swapped for smart light bulbs, which screw into the existing sockets of your home. An internet-connected hub links all of the bulbs together, giving control over the lighting in your home from a centralised site. Simple!

Can I Save Money with Smart Lighting Control Systems?

Lighting makes up 15% of a typical household’s electricity bill, so upgrading your lights to smart lighting can help reduce your monthly bills, however only to some extent. We can’t entirely promise you’ll save money – it all depends on your habits and lifestyle. One LED bulb could save you roughly £180 over its lifetime – that is an incentive in itself to adjust your habits. Why not start with the Somfy RTS plug? It’s a remote-controlled electric socket which allows you to remotely switch your lights on/off with a single touch. Go ahead and make home life more comfortable all whilst saving energy with this handy device.

Whilst it’s true there will be higher upfront costs with smart lighting, if you adjust your habits accordingly, in the long run you could notice money being saved. For example, having the power to adjust your lights remotely means you’ll soon find they’re turned on a lot less. Say you’ve just perched up on the sofa after a long, hard day at work, suddenly you realise that you’ve left the upstairs lights on. We get it – it’s tempting to just to leave them. However, with smart lighting you can switch them off in a matter of seconds from the palm of your hand. It’s the little things like this which turn into big savings over time!

Control Your Smart Lighting with Our App

Welcome TaHoma – the mobile app that controls your lighting with one tap from the palm of your hand. Just connect your smartphone to your lighting for full control. With the app you can do the following:

  • Set your own ambiance – combine lighting with music, blinds, screens, awnings and more to set the scene and launch them with just one click.
  • Control your lighting remotely – don’t worry if you ever forget to switch the lights off because you can use your smartphone to do it from wherever you may be.

What are the Different Types of Smart Lighting Systems?

If you are considering a smart lighting system – fear not because there are plenty to choose from. Breathe new life into every room – and the garden – with these smart lighting systems:

1. Smart Light Switch

Smart switches give you more control over your light fittings. They offer a hassle-free smart lighting solution without major changes to your lighting arrangement. Smart switches replace your existing switches but can still exist alongside your current light bulbs. Best of all, they tend to be a lot less expensive – music to any homeowner’s ears. Of course – they can be wirelessly connected and work with pretty much any light fixture.


If you want control of all your light fittings at once – look no further than the Scenario Player for TaHoma. All you need to do is program this wall switch with the TaHoma app via your smart device. Once you’ve done this, you can create multiple scenarios whether that’s switching all the lights off when you’re snoozing or opening the shutters for a morning wake-up call.
For those who aren’t entirely sold on the idea of an automated home, if you fancy testing the waters first with an economical and easy approach – smart light switches are the way forward.


Smart light switches have many advantages like the following:

  • Enhanced security – control when your lights turn on/off even if you’ve popped to the shops or gone away on holiday.
  • Intuitive controls – operate flawlessly with your existing home Wi-Fi network.
  • Save money – you could decrease your utility bills to some extent by programming your lights.

2. Smart Light Bulbs

A single smart light bulb can be connected to an existing socket and then paired with your home's Wi-Fi system at the most basic level. Then go ahead and control your smart light bulbs from wherever you are with your smartphone! Smart light bulbs can come with more advanced features too, for instance adjustable brightness, programmable scheduling and mood-based lighting schemes.

The benefits don’t just stop there either, here are some:

  • Reduced energy use – smart lights use CFL or LED bulbs in place of incandescent bulbs which can cut the volume of electricity required to illuminate a room.
  • Longer life span – on average an incandescent lightbulb has a lifespan of 750 to 2,000 hours whereas LED smart lights can operate incessantly for 35,000 to 50,000 hours.
  • Easy personalisation – smart bulbs can be tailored to your schedule whether that’s them switching on when you come home from work or turning off when it’s time for bed.
  • Fun settings – many can be set to change colour or adjust a room’s mood with settings ranging from bright and efficient to calming and romantic.

3. Motion Sensor Lighting

Motion sensor lights introduce a sense of safety and security to any home. With the additional convenience of a sensor-activated lighting system, you’ll never have to fret about watching your step in the dark again.
PIR sensors are used in motion sensor lighting to detect movement as an alert to switch on lights. For instance, they’ll turn on if a person approaches them. So don’t worry – if you get any trespassers, not only will your lights inform you, but it may even send them packing.

Here are some more additional benefits:

  • Touch-free system – making them elderly, child and disability-friendly. For those who require extra assistance navigating the property, motion sensor lights will ensure they’re always safe and able to see.
  • Conserve energy – by shutting off automatically when they no longer detect movement, it means they use less power. Therefore, motion sensor lights could help you save on your electricity bill.
  • Access friendly – use them to light up dark hallways, garages, porches and gardens to ensure these areas are always safely accessible.
  • Convenient – take LED security lights for instance, particularly those with various modes, they just need to be installed and turned on. After that, they’ll never need continued upkeep – saving your time and effort all whilst keep your home safe and sound.

4. Hub-Controlled Smart Lighting

Hub-controlled smart lights are typically bigger in scope and can operate as a whole-house smart lighting system. The advantage of a separate, multi-purpose hub is so that you can control everything in a single app – home automation made convenient. Remember though – you need to be careful when going for this type of smart lighting system, to ensure it’s compatible with the smart home hub that you use. If your home is full of smart gadgets – this is the system for you.


Welcome the Indoor Lighting Receiver RTS – you can operate all your electrical RTS products for example LED lighting if you pair it with your TaHoma hub. Simple, easy living just got better!


To sum up – smart home lighting systems are an essential building block when it comes to home automation. Users can enjoy a variety of features such as remotely controlling them, setting schedules, conserving energy and much more. Smart lighting is a worthwhile investment which guarantees comfortable living from wherever you are. Go further with Somfy and explore all our lighting solutions to find the perfect one for you and your needs.

Where to buy?

Find your closest Somfy dealer. We’re always happy to advise you further.

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